Ray Charles at The Knight Center

Excerpts from this wonderful concert with Ray Charles in Miami have just surfaced on YouTube. What a thrill to play for the great Ray Charles in such a beautiful venue as the Knight Center. This date was rehearsed and recorded in one day, and contracted by a superb trombonist who had retired to South Florida from New York-Morty Bullman. For decades Morty was a staple of the New York scene. He told me that he first hit New York as Tommy Dorsey was leaving to take his newly formed band on the road.

davidbrubeck.com

In the early days of his band, Tommy had complained to Morty that he was losing money leading his orchestra in comparison to the lucrative New York studio scene he had left behind. As Morty’s reputation in New York grew, he became a valued contractor as well: one of his notable accounts was Frank Sinatra. An active leader in the musician’s union, Morty often refused to take the ‘back’ entrance to jobs. A barrel-chested, 6’3″ (at least), trombone virtuoso in his own right, Morty earned and received respect. Morty was among a handful of trombonists I have ever heard who possessed a truly enormous and beautiful sound.